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- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Sep 19, 2012You can see every angle and every side of the shape they've made. And the unimpeachable logic of each song, added to their odd tunefulness of the songs, makes them exciting to listen to.
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May 29, 2012Utterly compelling.
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May 25, 2012Young, yet somehow void of naivety. Vibrant, yet artistically matured.
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Feb 26, 2013This Leeds-to-Cambridge foursome's unhurried electro-mesh is always more than pleasant and half the time mildly enthralling.
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Q MagazineOct 12, 2012There's undeniably something new and intriguing going on here. [Jul 2012, p.95]
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Sep 28, 2012Alt-J's bizarre pop is ultimately rooted solidly in pathos, in a sort of blighted redemption. They favor cacophony for its ability to offset silence, enjoy spiraling out of control for its appreciation of the meticulous.
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Under The RadarAug 22, 2012It's uncommon for bands to achieve cohesiveness amidst such levels of quirk; on their debut, Alt-J have done much better than that. [Aug/Sep 2012, p.108]
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Jun 26, 2012There are just enough love songs in there to keep it rock, just enough instrumentals to edge it back towards the cinematic, and more than the usual helping of skill to smooth off the edges and end up with a beautifully rounded, awesome debut album.
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May 30, 2012This debut offering is strong, addictive and enthralling, the perfect accompaniment to any mood, any moment, anywhere.
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May 29, 2012A brilliantly disquieting debut.
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May 25, 2012A complete joy.
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MagnetOct 17, 2012It's all very impressive (and pretty), but that doesn't necessarily mean it leaves much of an impression. [No. 992, p.52]
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Sep 18, 2012Despite sounding more like Radiohead's wistful indie-pop nephews than the genuine article, alt-J are a group offering moderate experimentalism that'll serve as an effective gateway for younger fans.
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Aug 21, 2012Alt-J's wave is far more awesome when it's at its most schizophrenic.
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Mar 13, 2013Alt-J crafts an ethereal ocean of sound that's remarkably cohesive-at once strange and familiar.
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May 30, 2012'Matilda' is superb, squirmy avant-pop, 'Tessellate' sports a pleasing, stuttering, polyrhythm, whilst 'Breezeblocks' skitters beneath multilayered vocals.
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Nov 20, 2012An Awesome Wave washes over its beached listeners, pleasantly cooling them for a second, then making its retreat back into an ocean of sameness.
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Sep 24, 2012[Once An Awesome Wave] maintains a steady jog and never quite sprints into action... Nevertheless, a creative effort from this new band, Alt-J shows promise and proves they can create hauntingly catchy melodies from irregular rhythms.
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Sep 28, 2012It's both overstuffed and messy, and so overworked that what life there may once have been now exists as a kind of primordial paste.
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MojoJun 26, 2012The whole album is uncertain and unconvincing. [Jul 2012, p.94]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 238 out of 261
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Mixed: 10 out of 261
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Negative: 13 out of 261
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Dec 23, 2012
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Dec 5, 2012
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Apr 15, 2014